Givian

For Katy

Givian Andreline Vica was one of two orphaned sisters raised as wards by a Neverwinter Noble. She’s a ferocious and intimidating fighter, though only after diplomatic efforts fall through. Deep within her cold exterior lies a kind heart wrapped in a sarcastic wit.

Givian is framed in angular, polished steel plate armor. Broad shoulders help make her seem more solid and intimidating, and I wanted the angles and points to not only make her seem more dangerous but also to serve as a call-back to time she spent amongst the Drow. It’s uniform and fancy rather than higgledy-piggledy because she likely had it commissioned since she’s of the house of a Noble and would be able to afford it. Underneath the armor is a softer layer of warm, soft materials with organic patterns in it. A gambeson was typically worn under armor historically for practical reasons but Givian’s also serves to hint at a softer, warmer interior. She is described as being deeply kind. The white layer underneath that is not only formal but also represents an even deeper layer of purity and cleanliness.

The gold inlays serve to keep attention up towards her face, which is framed in the all-gold lining of her open collar. This is to emphasize her dedication to diplomacy, keeping her face open and bright, with the gold serving to elevate her voice and expressions. I wanted to avoid the spirals and organic filigree we typically see in fantasy armor with gold inlay so I went with a linear design. I also wanted to keep it up towards her face to direct attention there.

Her cloak is a magically imbued cloak, enchanted against spells cast by the Hordes of the Underdark, so I wanted it to look a little bit more substantial than just a sheet of fabric. I draped it over her shoulder like Clint Eastwood before pulling his gun out. It has a leather trim to protect the edges and a padded silk lining. The cream colored material would be wool for its warmth and water resistance. The silver toggles and thread are there to help it seem a bit more luxurious as well.

Her boots are highly polished and well kept. Being raised by a noble I think she’d have lots of good habits and would be quite disciplined. Well-kept materials would reflect that, and the leather spats serve to help protect her feet and her boots while allowing flexibility in the ankles. Her neat fingernails also indicate a level of skill with her weapons. I’d typically depict a fighter with gnarly nails to hint at a level of chaoticness.

Her swords are kept akimbo like a Japanese warrior, but they’re connected by simple belts for practicality. Each sword from wildly different origins so they’re depicted with different styles.

Givian was fun to draw though not without her challenges. Similar to Terril she is quite normal. Strong, likeable and human. I was happy to hear she was a redhead. I find them engaging to draw and are also a great fit in Western fantasy. Tall and thin and muscular is also fun to draw.

One thing that was reinforced through this experience however was to make sure to get adequate reference for difficult things. I spent far too much time hemming and hawing about rendering the armor and having more information about armor would have helped speed that along and also make me more confident about my decisions. I’m eager to grow and learn from doing these pieces and I thank Katy for allowing me to draw her character into existence

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Every Monday I hold a free character art lottery on my Twitter account @RNDFANTASY. I'll announce what hashtag to use to enter that week and it's open to everyone, midnight-to-midnight, Mondays, Mountain Time